THE RARE 1ST-TYPE (BOXED) "LATE RECEIVED" MARK (ERD) ON INGOING COVER EX FRANCE; 14 Mar. 1845 EL prepaid from Nantes to Port Louis "Pr [Ship] Pionnier" with red boxed Nantes "P.P." on the front, but most unusually also having a mainly very fine boxed Port Louis "LATE RECEIVED" (filing crease) inverted on the front matching the mainly fine 2-ring "MAURITIUS/POST OFFICE/JY 02/1845" ds on the side-flap. This Late mark indicated that the letter was landed from the Pionnier after the local mail despatches for the day had closed; Proud records it (I 6) only from 20/7/1845 to 17 May 1850, and it seems likely that the Port Louis cds on this cover was meant to read 20 July and so this must be the Earliest Recorded Date. Few examples known. Cross Reference: FRANCE, LATE FEE MAIL (Image)

AUSTRALIA - INGOING COVER EX MELBOURNE WITH EARLY USAGE UNFRAMED PORT LOUIS "Late Received" MARK; Very fine 14 Nov. 1854 EL sent direct from "Melbourne" to Mauritius "P. [Ship] Rollo" with mainly fine crowned "MAURITIUS/GPO" ds (15 Jan.) on the front beside a matching mainly fine "Late Received" mark (Proud I 7; recorded 10 Nov. 1854 to 1933). A good early usage and an unusual country of origin. Cross Reference: VICTORIA, LATE FEE MAIL (Image)

AUSTRALIA - INGOING COVER EX MELBOURNE WITH EARLY USAGE UNFRAMED PORT LOUIS "Late Received" MARK; Very fine 2 Sept.. 1854 EL sent direct from "Melbourne" to Mauritius "P. [Ship] Heatherbell" with mainly fine crowned "MAURITIUS/GPO" ds (2 Dec.) on the front beside a matching inverted mainly fine "Late Received" mark (Proud I 7; recorded 10 Nov. 1854 to 1933). A good early usage and an unusual country of origin. Cross Reference: VICTORIA, LATE FEE MAIL (Image)

UNIQUE(?) USAGE OF RARE BOXED "FREE." ON INGOING COVER FROM GB REDIRECTED LOCALLY; 29 Oct. 1857 E (some creasing and toning) from London to a "Hotel Keeper, Souillac, District of Savaine, Mauritius" franked with a cut-square Embossed 6d Lilac (margins on 3 sides; cut into at top) cancelled by a London diamond numeral (with faint General Office cds on the flap). There is a mainly fine double-oval "PACKET LETTER/MAURITIUS" ds 11 Jan. 1857) just across the join on the reverse, but the letter was endorsed "Returned" on the front, so presumably the addressee could not be found in Souillac and the letter was returned to Port Louis. There is also a mainly fine rare small boxed "FREE" mark of Port Louis (Proud OPD 29) on the top flap endorsed "Local" which matches the handwriting of the redirection on the front to "Ville Bague". It seems that there was a rule that redirected letters from overseas were not to be charged local postage. Very few covers have been recorded with this FREE mark, and this is thought to be the only known example on ingoing mail. Fascinating and probably Unique cover. Cross Reference: OVERSEAS DESTINATIONS, FREES, EMBOSSED ISSUES (Image)

PORT LOUIS "TOO LATE" MARKS - ALL DIFFERENT TYPES - TO REUNION PLUS 2 TO INDIA; 23 Mar. 1861 E to Reunion "Par Str. Paul Amsterdam" with 4d Rose (crease) cancelled by void barred oval having a very fine boxed Port Louis "TOO LATE" (Proud I 8; EKD) on the front matching the crowned cds on the lower flap beside a fine blue boxed St. Denis "M & I" mark; plus 19 Oct. 1861/11 Mar. 1870 E/EL to Calcutta/Karachi with 4d Rose tied by "B53" duplex or with 6d+4d+1d (latter damaged) tied by fair"B53" numerals, each with mainly fine Port Louis "TOO LATE" marks (framed or unframed; not recorded by Proud & Proud I 9 respectively). Fine trio of these remarkably elusive Mauritius markings. (3 covers)Cross Reference: TOO LATE MARKS, REUNION, FRANCE, INDIA (Image)

LATER PORT LOUIS FORWARDING AGENT CACHETS - MAIL TO PRUSSIA/FRANCE/GB; 1880/94 envs. + wrapper with fair to very fine strikes of oval-framed FACs of "IRELAND FRASER & CO/MERCHANTS" (1880; to France with 17c Red), "BLYTH BROTHERS & Co." (1885 to Prussia with 4c Red), or "SCOTT & Co." (1894 wrapper to GB with faded 1c + 2c). Unusually late usages for FACs. (3 covers) Cross Reference: FORWARDING AGENTS, FRANCE, GERMANY (Image)

NOVA SCOTIA - SPECTACULAR COVER REGISTERED WITH MAURITIUS 3-COLOUR FRANKING, ETC.; Colourful 7 May 1869 env. (very slight edge wear) from "Port Louis" to "Halifax, Nova Scotia" endorsed "Via Marseilles" and "Registered" with 6d Green, 9d Dull Purple & 1/-Yellow cancelled by fine "B53" numerals (the 1/- tied by the red London 4 June transit d.s.) for the 2s-3d rate (1/- reg. fee + 1s-3d postage) with a very fine red Port Louis "REGISTERED/No.[2]" mark (Proud R4; this example predates his dates by 1 month) alongside. There is also a 16 June Halifax oval arrival ds on the front. The original enclosure is still present; a "Second [Bill] of Exchange for £50 Sterling" and it has a very fine Mauritius 1d Blue "SECOND OF EXCHANGE" stamp tied by the sender's signature. A rare rate, an early registered item, and a rare destination. Wonderful Exhibition Quality Cover. Cross Reference: REGISTERED MAIL, NOVA SCOTIA, REVENUES (Image)

THE MYSTERIOUS PORT LOUIS "R" MARKS - IN RED (1876 REGD. TO FRANCE) OR BLACK (4 LOCAL PCs); Attractive 12 Oct. 1876 EL registered to Nantes "Per Messageries Maritimes" with 1/- Yellow + 4d Rose tied by fair large "B53" numerals (8d postage + 8d reg. fee) with a very fine oval red "REGISTERED/No./MAURITIUS" d.s. on the front but also having a very fine red boxed "R" (Proud I 80; ERD - very rare in red) nearby; this usage of the R mark may suggest a connection at this early period to registered mail. Plus 1879 formula PC with 2c on blank tablet and 1887/97 trio of 2c Brown PCs; all to Port Louis and 3 from different villages which suggests a possible usage for Rural mail, or Ride mail? Fascinating and attractive group. (1 covers + 4 cards)Cross Reference: REGISTERED MAIL, FRANCE (Image)

MADAGASCAR - INGOING "TELEGRAM" COVER REGISTERED FROM PORT LOUIS; Attractive 13 Mar. 1896 "EASTERN TELEGRAPH CO. TELEGRAM" env. addressed to "Tamatave" with Port Louis telegram station oval ds on reverse beside the Mauritius 25c+12c tied by a fine Port Louis cds. The undersea cables did not reach Madagascar at this date, so the telegram probably came from India or Europe and had to be forwarded by ship. Rare and attractive ingoing cover registered to Madagascar. Cross Reference: TELEGRAMS, MADAGASCAR, REGISTERED MAIL (Image)

BALANCE OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL MARK COVERS - BOER WAR, EARLY POSTAGE DUES, "Late Received", ETC.; 1887-1940 covers/cards with varied instructional markings etc.; 1887/99 local PCs pair with CARRIER ds, ingoing WWI 'fags PC', 1901 pair of envs. to Ceylon Boer POW (5 different Diyatalawa Camp censors!) or censored to L. Marques, 1911/29 PC/env. pair with v. fine "Late Received" late usages, 1930 env. with GB PUC 1d tied by v. fine "Ship Letter", and 1933-40 quartet of covers with scarce early Mauritius Postage Dues (4c+10c+2c ex Madagascar, 6c pair ex Reunion, 10c+20c+4c+2c ex Paris, and military 1940 "F.M." env. ex Madagascar with 3x10c + 3x2c), 2 Arms covers, and 4 1930s covers. Good lot. (19 covers/cards + 4 stamps) Cross Reference: POSTAGE DUE STAMPS & COVERS, MADAGASCAR, LATE FEE MAIL, MILITARY - BOER WAR (Image)